[magee]

Our three year old guy has been home for a year and it doesn't happen as often now, but sometimes he has a tough time coming back to the "land of the living" after a nap. He cries inconsolably and thrashes around in my arms. He goes to get down, but then doesn't want down...if I offer to rock him he doesn't want rocking, but then does...if I offer him a drink he screams no. It's as if any little thing rocks his boat and it takes him at least a half hour to come out of it. If I sit on the couch and basically ignore him, but keep him close, that's the best way to ride it out. It seems as if I've heard of this in other children and wanted to know if anyone had any thoughts for me.

[tigger44]

Our DD just turned three and rarely takes a nap now. When she does nap she tends to wake up in a terrible mood. I've found that it's best to let her wake on her own, or go in and wake her but leave the room to let her works things out. She can't stand to be touched or consoled after naps, she just rolls around in her bed crying. I think it's because she's really aged out of napping now (she stopped taking regular naps months ago, but it's a spirited personality thing for her), and maybe it's the time when a lot of children start working out of their daily naps.

[GCS]

DD, also 3, is always a complete crab-cake when she first wakes up from her nap. DS wasn't like this, he was just a little out of it when he woke up. I find that if I give her a little space and a little juice (bring that blood sugar up) she is better more quickly than if I try to appease her. She just doesn't know what she wants then. God forbid DH tries to pick her up during this time. She will fly into a tantrum which she never, ever has. And then, just like that it passes and she is back to her sweet self.

[ddahl]

Used to have that problem here. I have found with DS that when I put him down for a nap, I use the bed time routine. When I awaken him, I always say goodmorning baby and open the curtains and blind. I say something like how a bout a walk with Mommy? then he totally perks up. I guess that i awaken him like he does not have a choice but to ge tup for some fun. He is much better but still on certain days he just wants to be help. Sometimes its nice to be little. He is like a little limp lump. he rarely cries anymore. Hang in there! It gets better.

[Javalita]

Originally Posted by magee

...He cries inconsolably and thrashes around in my arms. He goes to get down, but then doesn't want down...if I offer to rock him he doesn't want rocking, but then does...if I offer him a drink he screams no. It's as if any little thing rocks his boat and it takes him at least a half hour to come out of it. If I sit on the couch and basically ignore him, but keep him close, that's the best way to ride it out.

I don't want to start in on the "sounds like attachment challenges" bandwagon, as I know often happens. I will just say that my son, who did suffer attachment issues, had very similar anxieties. Not just at waking, but often at this time. For my son, there was always a visable internal struggle of wanting to be close to me, but scared and nervous of being close. It was so obvious when he wanted to be held, but then wanted immediately down. He wanted to be rocked, but then got scared and wanted down. He cried when I put him down, obviously wanting to be cuddled, but just confused and scared. He wanted me nearby, so often I would sit side-by-side (with distraction, like TV or a book) and that would calm him down. He wanted to be close, but it scared him.

We worked alot on attachment stuff and most of that confused behaviour has stopped. I'm not saying that this is going on, but it might be something to think about.

[KidsRGreat]

My daughter who is now 3, home at 13 months of age, has often had problems upon waking. She can go from total silence (I keep a monitor on her) to a sudden loud and demanding yell or cry. When I go up to her room she gets very frustrated with any efforts on my part to console her, and can escalate into a tantrum pretty easily. I've found the best way to handle it is to lay down on the floor next to her bed for a while. Amazingly after 15 minutes or so, she often will perk right up, and be a much happier little girl. I wish she'd just wake up and play iin her bed a little -- just enjoy a little time to herself. These bad moods have gotten less frequent since she's been in a twin bed. But I wish she'd stop this all together. I just hope she grows out of it, or that I can figure out what's going on in that little head.